Weight Loss Surgery May Arrest Type 2 Diabetes

A new study claims that weight loss surgery is a very effective method of preventing diabetes. This interesting research is carried out in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine that states bariatric surgery not only balanced weight in obese men and women but also lowered their rate being a victim of type 2 diabetes.

In order to support the finding the Swedish study involved more than 3,400 obese men and women in which half of them were already exposed to bariatric surgery for 15 years. On monitoring these subjects the researchers learnt that this procedure had shunned the occurrence of type 2 diabetes by nearly 78 percent.

Participants were given the choice to opt whether or not they want to have surgery. Stomach stapling was the most common procedure that included 69 percent that was followed by gastric banding including 19 percent and gastric bypass which consisted of a total of 12 percent.

This study kick started in 1987 that focused o n weight loss surgery arresting the spread of type 2 diabetes and how regular diet and exercise helps in lowering heart related problems.

WebMD quoted Lars Sjostrom, MD, PhD, of the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, ""Here the risk reduction is much stronger. In the control group, which obtained usual care, 28 percent of patients developed diabetes over 10 years vs. 7 percent of the patients in the surgery group. If you look at it 15 years later, it is 38 percent vs. 13 percent in the surgery group. These figures correspond to risk reduction of about 80 percent with bariatric surgery."

According to the data presented by the World Health Organization 346 million people suffer from diabetes. In which 90 percent are prone to type 2 diabetes.

His new study helps in changing lifestyle.

abcNEWS quoted Dr. Ozanan Meireles, instructor in surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital " It is indisputable that bariatric surgery addresses weight-related problems better than medical treatments, regardless of the mechanism. All patients would certainly benefit from it, either by achieving remission, by decreasing the amount of medications that they take on a daily basis, or by postponing the onset of diabetes in their lifetime."

Despite the evidence received from the study the doctors still caution the people for weight loss surgery as there are chances that they might suffer from infections, blood clots, malnutrition, ulcers, vomiting or diarrhea.

Ted Adams of the University of Utah, who was not connected with the research, told Reuters Health, "This is simply additional information that can help a patient and clinician regarding whether to have the surgery, as they weigh a number of factors. Preventing diabetes is really a meaningful contribution to the long-term quality of life."